Wigan Warriors left with the Challenge Cup as they capitalised on a very bad day at the office from their neighbours to lift the trophy. Here's our Wire reporter Matt Turner's five key talking points from the game..
. This was not how it was supposed to end. The story was pre-written – one of the game’s modern-day greats leading the competition’s great underachievers to glory at the first time of asking.
However, neither side read the script and Warrington picked the worst possible time for their poorest showing of the season. For the record, there was no lack of effort. If anything, there was a little too much at times as Wire were pressured into frantic play by the scoreboard.
They needed cool heads, but those that were meant to provide them did not and too many of their key players had off-days. When that happens against a champion side like Wigan, the story will only have one ending. When Wigan’s former Wire prop Mike Cooper was controversially dispatched to the sin bin after just two minutes, that should have been their cue to seize control.
However, their numerical advantage lasted precisely one tackle – rather than try and build pressure, they tried to cash in immediately and the loss of possession ended in Matt Dufty quickly following Cooper for a 10-minute rest. Had they kept their heads in that situation, things may well have been different but it was one of a few examples of Warrington trying to force things too early. In Wire’s defence, they came out of.